Track Listing

1. Intro
2. Big Money
3. Subdivisions
4. Marathon
5. Turn the Page
6. Manhattan Project
7. Mission
8. Distant Early Warning
9. Mystic Rhythms
10. Witch Hunt
11. Rhythm Method
12. Force Ten
13. Time Stand Still
14. Red Sector A
15. Closer to the Heart

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #67163 in Music
• Brand: RUSH
• Released on: 1997-07-01
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Live, Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered
• Dimensions: .21 pounds

Customer Reviews

Reasons to get this album
1) If, like me, you didn't really get into the so-called "synth period" of Rush, this albums gives you a good slice of that period of the band to make up for the studio albums you probably neglected to buy.

2) All Rush live albums are incredible. They perform their songs with almost mathematical precision, but still add a bit of live grit to them as well.

Now for the bad. If you're not familiar with this material, it's pretty synth heavy and can come off a bit cerebral and sterile. This is definitely music for the head. I happen to like it. While I never got too into this period for the band, songs like "Mission" are really quite compelling, with incredible lyrics. And Geddy's use of both synth and bass is really incredible. You almost forget that he is playing both instruments.

Another gripe. You get the sense that Peart was a little too excited about his new MIDI triggers. Geddy too. It's neat to hear the technology, but it does lack some grit of their older playing.

Last gripe. "Closer to the Heart" was on "Exit . . . Stage Left," this album, and later on "Different Stages." This is overkill. I sincerely hope they leave it off the NEXT live album.

Overall, it's a great listen of some incredible live performances. The synths are very heavy, but I happen to like it overall.

3.5 stars. Good live cuts from eighties period Rush
The cycle of four studio recordings, followed by a live issue continues with this third live set by Rush, from 1989. Tracks are taken primarily from the Power Windows tour of '86 and Hold Your Fire of '88 and also includes cuts from Signals and Grace Under Pressure.

I like this live set. I think it's a good representation of the eighties period Rush disks, and the performances here bring out some of the energy lacking in the over-produced, sterile-sounding studio versions. "Subdivisions" really comes alive with great guitar and drums, as does "Mystic Rhythms." "Turn the Page" has a positive vibe often missing in rock. I also like the inclusion of "Witch Hunt" here, as well as "Closer to the Heart" with the added instrumental jam by the band. Of the three musicians, I think Alex Lifeson's guitar work shimmers with more energy than the studio versions.

Compared to their other live releases, All The World's a Stage, Exit...Stage Left, and Different Stages, this set still has an over-produced feel to it. Heavy on special effects and augmented things like a recorded version of Aimee Mann's voice on "Time Stand Still" rather than the real thing. When I listen to a live set, I want surprises, not exact recreations of the studio cuts. Yes, there are nuances here, but they are subtle textural things.

Still, this is a group of three guys who, to the best of my knowledge, do not use outside musicians to augment their sound, something a lot of larger bands do for their shows. And, Geddy Lee often plays bass and keyboards at the same time, while singing too!

Fantastic Live Album!
I personally find this album to be the finest Rush live release in the band's long and prestigious career. In fact, this album was the album that really made me a listener of the band and brought me to other such jewels as 'Moving Pictures' and 'Signals'. I have listened to both 'Different Stages' and 'Exit Stage Left' and while they both have their positive points neither, in my opinion, comes close to the musicianship and presentation of 'A Show of Hands'. While I will admit that many of the studio releases of these tunes sometimes have a stagnant or synthetic type of feeling, they just work on a much higher level in this live recording, especially the what was then newly released 'Hold Your Fire' material. I also agree, with many of my fellow reviewers, that much of the "live rock grit" has been pulled out from this album but personally I always found such grit to be more of a flaw than asset. However, I should point out that I am by no means a rock or Rush afficienado as most of my music collection consists of jazz (but it does include a large quantity of fusion,free and funk). Either way 'A Show of Hands' provides a unique type of Rush experience and should be interesting and worthwhile to rock and jazz listeners with slightly broader tastes.